Skin stimulating and massaging device



Feb. 6, 1951 H. w. M CREADY SKIN STIMULATING AND MASSAGING DEVICE FiledJan. 20, 1947 w wfi R 9 my.

INVENTOR.

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Patented Feb. 6, 1951 SKIN STIMULATING AND MASSAGING DEVICE Howard W.McCready, New York, N. Y., assignor to Edwin H. Tompkins, New York, N.Y.

Application January 20, 1947, Serial No. 723,133

Claims.

This invention relates to skin stimulating and massaging devices, andparticularly to those which may be held in ones hand and moved in anydirection while in operation. Such devices are particularly useful forstimulating and massaging the scalp to aid blood circulation therein.This invention is in the nature of an improvement upon U. S. Patent No.2,465,250 of March 22, 1949.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, light, compact andrelatively inexpensive device that may be held in ones hand and movedagainst and over the skin of a person to impart to such skin,stimulating, beneficial and pleasant impulses.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription of an embodiment of the invention, and the novel featureswill be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation of a hair brush embodyingmy invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional elevation of the same taken on line2-2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of the base and motor, forming a part of thesame and taken on line 3-3, Fig. 1.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the device is shown as apower operated hair brush and includes a hollow housing I having achamber 2 with an open face 3. The inner periphery of the chamber 2, ashort distance inwardly from the open face, is provided with a channel 4opening into chamber 2 and in which is disposed a strip 5 of soft,resilient, compressible material such as soft elastic rubber or spongerubber. This strip Shas, on its exposed face, a groove 6 which receivesthe edge of a plate-like base 1 that extends across and substantiallycloses said chamber, approximately at itsopen face. This strip 5 thusfloatingly and yieldingly mounts the base 1 for limited movement in andrelatively to the housing.

The strip 5 projects into the chamber, and the groove 6 is entirelywithin'the projecting portion, so that the outer wall of thegroove mayflex or yield under stress to pass the edge of the base 1 into and outof the groove 6. The innerside wall of the channel 4 extends towards thecenter of the open face 3 further than the bottom of groove 6, to resistmovement of base 1 beyond groove 6. The base i may be formed of twoplates secured together face to face, with the inner plate having lesscrosswise and lengthwise dimens ons than the outer plate, so that theedge of the inner plate will approximately abut the edge of one sidewall of the cushion strip 5.

Secured upon the exposed face of the inner plate 'of base 1, such as byscrews 8, is one arm 9 of a two piece core ll! of an electromagnet H.The core in is of nearly, but not entirely, aclosed, elongated loop,having two generally parallel arms, oneof which is arm 9 and the otherof which is arm [2. Arm I 2 has an angular end terminating in a concave,end face I3, which fits over a corresponding but convex end face is onthe upstanding end of arm 9, to form therewith a rocking fulcrum betweenarms 9 and I2, by which the opposite ends of arms 9 and I2 can movetoward and from each other. The arms 8 and 12, at opposite sides of thefulcrum, carry projecting hooks l5 over which are engaged the hookedends I6 of a spring l1. Spring i1 is preferably a steel spring and whenengaged over hooks I5 is under stress so as to hold surfaces l3 and Itin contact and to urge the free end of arm [2 in a direction away fromthe corresponding end of arm 9.

Surrounding the portions of the core between the arms 9 and I2 areelectromagnetic coils it that, when energized, set up a magnetic fluxthrough the core that pulls the free end of arm I2 towards the arm 5,stressing spring ll. When the coils l8 are de-energized, or thecurrenttherein is decreased or reversed, the spring ll will rock the arm 12 tocarry its free end away from the arm 9. The coils l8 are connected inthe same-circuit and are both wound to set up a magnetic flux in thesame direction through the nearly closed loop path of the core l0.Current is suppliedto coils l8 by a twin wire cord i9 leading therefromand passing through an aperture 20 in the side wall of housing I(Fig.1). The cord [9 may be secured against endlwise yanks by a clampblock 2| having separable sections between which the cord passes and bywhich it is clamped.

A generally U-shaped strap 22 is secured to the upper arm l2 adjacentits free end, and its free ends are flanged laterally in directions awayfrom each other as at 23. These lateral flanges are apertured, and studs24 screwed into base-1 project therefrom atits inner face and extendloosely through said apertures in flanges 23. Collars 24a on studs 24engage with base i and limit the movement of the studs into the base.Nuts 25 are threaded on each stud at opposite faces of the adjacentflange 23 which that stud passes through. Resilient cushions or washersof base 1 so :as :toextend across, and.,substantia'llyg close, saidopen" face 3. "Brist1es' or flexible elements 28 extend from the outerface of backing la in generally parallel directions. Spring hook arms e29 secured to the base i snap over opposite ends,"

base I. Dowel screws or pins at (Fig 1) project from the outer face ofbase 'i' andge'nter-aligned;

. or edges of backing let to confine it releasably to 7 dowel aperturesor recesses in theinner-face of backing la to locate thelatter-accurately on base-:

1 and hold it from sidewise movement thereon.

The backing member la, the base i and'the core l0 are all spaced fromthe housing 1 so that they-may: have free limited movement relatively tothe housing; :When a pulsating current is supplied to coils-i8 throughtwin wire 19; the pulsatingi cur-rent' will produce a variable magneticfiu'xinicore Hi. This causes an oscillation of the fre'eend of arm !2:onfulcrum formed of sur;-

faces= l3 andl' L-in'opposition-to spring 5? .andai' washer cushionsThis imparts impulses or periodic forces to the base :1 in the.directions normal toitsface-which is also endwiseofthe bristles '28?.One' maygrasp the housing I and hold it astightly as desired and pressthe bristles against the scalp or skin. The impulses passing from base 1to the-bristles will be transmitted-to the-skin or scalp, and causeapleasant stimula tion or sensation' in= the skin. These impulses alone;or accompanied by: a brushing movement ofthe bristles over the skin,will give a pleasing sensation to the skull much like'a massage withmany fingers These impulses appear to stimulate blood circulationthrough the skin and producea healthful skin condition.

While any-suitable vibrator motor or electric vibrator may be mounted onthe inner face-of base"! in a position-t0 impart impulses to the base 1'in directions normal to its face, the'type of -motor-described andillustrated is an inexpen sive but very efiective-vibrator-motor-thatmay a beemployed successfully on-base 1. When the bristles needcleaning, the backing 27 may bedetached; cleaned and replaced It'will'be understood that various changes in the details; materials-andarrangement of parts,

which-have been herein described and illustrated inordertoexplainthenature of the inventionmay be made'bythose skilled in the art within"the 'principle andscope of the invention,- -as'ex-= pressed in theappended claims.

I claim: 1. ,A skin stimulating devicecomprisinga hollowhousing whichmaybeheld and manipulated.

and having an opening in a face thereof, a rela-. tive1yrigidmembenwithinsaid housing exposed. throughsaid opening and free of directcontact with said housing, soft, resilient cushioning meansinterposedbetween said member'and'said housing andjresilientlyandgfioatingly mounting said member for limited movement relatively, tosaid housing andforming the-sole and floating sup port for said-member,a mechanically unbalanced, electric cscillatorsecured' on said memberwithin said housing and having an oscillating element fulcrumed atone-end on said member for move merit- 0f its free end'toward and fromsaid member; anda plurality of freely'flexible; resilient elementsprojecting from said member exterlorly of said housing in the generaldirection of movement of said oscillating element and side by siderelation for contact at their free ends with ones skin and transmittingthereto impulses received from said oscillating element through saidmemher.

2. A skinistimulating device comprisinga hollow housing whichmay-be'held and manipulated, and having an opening in a face thereof, arelatively rigid base within said housing, approximately closingzsaidopening, and everywhere spaced from said housing, soft, resilientcushioning means interposed between said base and housing"for-'floatingly' mounting said base for limited movement relatively tosaid housing, a magnet secured-to said base .within said housing inspaced relationto, and free of contact with, said housing; an armaturefulcrumed on said magnet for oscillation thereon towards and from saidbase, an electromagnet: in 1 flux-.1 inducing 1 relation to said magnetand armaturewfor causing:oscillationsrof said armature when afluctuating current is passedthrough saidelectromagnet;and a freelybase, exteriorly ofthe housing: in the: general direction" of 'movement'of said armature, for con-1..

flexible, resilient: element projecting from said tact at *its'fre'eend' with ones skin .to rtransmit thereto impulses received from saidarmature through'said base;

3. A skin stimulating'devi'ce comprisinga hollow h'ousingwhichmaybelheld and manipulated,

and having anopening in a face thereof, a relatively-rigid base:withinSaid'hO-Llsing, approximately closing said opening, and everywhere-.2

spaced from said housing; soft, 'resilientcushioning means interposedb'etween'said base and housing 'for floatingly mounting: said base forlimited:

movement relatively to said housing, a magnet" lation to saidmagnetandarmature and responsive to a fluctuating current for causingoscill'a-- tions of said armature, and aflexible, resilient ele'- 'men-tprojecting from said base, exteriorly of the housing in the generaldirection of movement of" said-armature, forcontact with ones-skin totransmit thereto impulsesreceived from said armature through said base.

4. A skinstimulating devicecomprising a hol low housing which may beheld and "manipulated, 1 and having'an opening-in a face thereof, arela-.

tivelyrigid-base within-said housingyapproxi 1 mately" closing: saidopening; and everywhere "spaced-from said housing; soft, "resilient,cushion ing:- means interposed between said base and housing '"gforlfloatingly mounting said base 'for limited movement relatively to saidhousing; ;a magnet secured to said base on the'face; thereof within saidhousing in spacedrelatiomto, and

free of contact 'WithQ'said housing, an armature fulcrumed :at one"end'on said magnet for oscillation' of its free end towards and*fromsaid base;

an electromagnet in flux inducingrelation to 'said 'magnet' and armaturefor causing oscillations of said armature when a fluctuating current ispassed through saidelectromagnet-a post carried -by=said base andextending generally normal thereto soft, resilient-- cushioning meansinterposed b'etween the free end of said armature and said post foryieldingly and resiliently opposing movement of said armature towardssaid base, and a freely flexible, resilient element projecting from saidbase, exteriorly of the housing in the general direction of movement ofsaid armature, for contact at its free end with ones skin to transmitthereto impulses received from said armature through said base.

5. A skin stimulating device comprising a hollow housing which may beheld and manipulated, and having an opening in a face thereof, arelatively rigid base within said housing, approximately closing saidopening, and everywhere spaced from said housing, soft, resilientcushioning means interposed between said base and housing for floatinglymounting said base for limited movement relatively to said housing, amagnet secured to said base on the face thereof within said housing inspaced relation to, and free of contact with said housing, an armaturefulcrumed at one end on said magnet for oscillation of its free endtowards and from said base, an electromagnet in flux inducing relationto said magnet and armature for causing oscillations of said armaturewhen a fluctuating current is passed through said electromagnet, a postcarried by said base and extending generally normal thereto, soft,resilient cushioning means interposed between the free end of saidarmature and said post for yieldingly and resiliently opposing movementof said armature towards said base, resilient means yieldingly andresiliently urging the free end of said armature away from said base,and a freely flexible, resilient element projecting from said base,exteriorly of the housing in the general direction of movement of saidarmature, for contact at its free end with one's skin to transmitthereto impulses received from said armature through said base.

HOWARD W. McCREADY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record. in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Oct. 15,1937 Number Number

